(TRAVERSE CITY, Mich.) -- Authorities in Michigan say a man entered a Walmart in Traverse City on Saturday afternoon armed with a folding knife and stabbed 11 people before being taken into custody.
The attack began unfolding at 4:43 p.m., the Grand Traverse Sheriff's Office said in a statement posted online.
The victims were being treated at the Munson Medical Center in Traverse City. As of Saturday evening, six of the victims were in critical condition and five were in serious condition, the hospital said in an update online.
At a news conference Saturday evening, Grand Traverse Sheriff Michael Shea said the victims include six males and five females. Authorities have not yet provided the ages of any of the victims.
The suspect has been identified by authorities only as a 42-year-old man.
"We believe he acted alone at this time," Shea said during the news conference. "There is no information indicating there were additional suspects."
The sheriff said a deputy arrived at the Walmart within 3 minutes of a 911 call being made about the stabbing and took the suspect into custody. The sheriff also credited "citizen involvement" with apprehending the suspect, who was armed with a folding knife, he said.
"Thankfully no one else was injured," the sheriff said, adding "11 is 11 too many -- but thank God it wasn't more."
The sheriff said the suspected appeared to attack the victims at random.
"It appears that these were all random acts," the sheriff said.
He said the incident began near the checkout area.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement on X that she was monitoring the situation.
"I'm in touch with law enforcement about the horrible news out of Traverse City. Our thoughts are with the victims and the community reeling from this brutal act of violence," she said.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a statement on social media that FBI personnel were responding to the scene, "to provide any necessary support to the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office in their investigation of the attacks at the Walmart."
State police asked people to avoid the area as the investigation continues.
In a statement, a Walmart spokesperson said: "Violence like this is unacceptable. Our thoughts are with those who were injured and we're thankful for the swift action of first responders. We'll continue working closely with law enforcement during their investigation."
Traverse City, a city of about 16,000 people, is in northern Michigan, about 150 miles north of Grand Rapids.
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